19552 GW Mag 26_Final_singles - Flipbook - Page 48
Alumnus Builds
Homes to
Break Barriers
Nate Diskint, BS ’12, turned a
family challenge into an innovative
inclusive housing community for
adults with disabilities.
Inspired by his brother Jeremy, Nate Diskint’s work builds on lessons he developed while a student at GW. (Photo: Sabrina Hajsok)
GROWING UP, NATE DISKINT, BS ’12, RECALLED THAT
his little brother Jeremy, who has Down syndrome, struggled to be
included in the classroom, even though federal law—the IDEA
ACT—mandated students with special needs receive a free,
appropriate public education.
Perhaps nothing illustrated that more than one of Jeremy’s
elementary school class photos. The teacher was on one end. In the
middle was the class, with all the students together. Then the aide
on the other side. And then Jeremy at the very end.
“That was a perfect metaphor for his inclusion,” said Diskint, a
New Jersey native who graduated with a degree in physical and
biological anthropology.
48 | www.columbian.gwu.edu
That early lesson forever stuck with Diskint, and these days,
he is the founder and executive director of Cohome, a nonpro昀椀t
organization serving as New Jersey’s 昀椀rst mainstream housing
program where adults with and without disabilities live together
as peers in vibrant, inclusive communities. It’s an idea born out
of love for his brother, and GW was transformative in shaping
his entrepreneurial skillset to make this vision a reality, he said.
Once he began realizing the differences in treatment between
him and his brother, Diskint became an advocate for Jeremy and
other children with disabilities. He even formed a social group for
classmates with disabilities while in high school.
